If you are trusting in Jesus for your salvation, may your spirit jump, yes, jump! today with joy. We have the most joy of all, don't we? Yes we do.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

We receive the joy of having a personal relationship with God, the joy of knowing all our sins are forgiven, the joy of knowing nothing can separate us from his love. (Romans 8:38-39)

And yet on most days, I hardly act like it. My eyes are too glued on the present, on problems, on situations I wish were different, and my soul needs a wake up call.

Wake up! Wake up to joy! 

We have the joy of knowing our hope is secure. Our "end" is really just the beginning to our brand new, absolutely perfect forever in heaven, with our God, worshiping with an ocean of each faithful one He has called home.

So even when you feel defeated by the day, defeated by a poor choice, defeated by sin, defeated by discouragement, tell yourself to remember joy. It can't be a joy you find in yourself, (those "joys" are short lived and often prideful) it's a joy that you find in Him. What He's done makes all the difference.

Joy in the crummiest days. Joy in the happiest days. It might not always look the same. Of course you won't always feel like leaping for joy, like you might on some days. But no matter what the joy stays the same. We, however, often act like it changes based on the day we're having or the season we're in. But if we let our joy bend and flow with the way our life is, we are in danger of believing lies about God. Suddenly, God can seem cruel, distant, even mean... and we doubt Him, ignore Him, forget who He is.

Wake up! Wake up soul! 

Repent and be restored.

We have this secure reason to praise every moment of every day because

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

Hebrews 13:8

And He, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is true.

Look to Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despairing the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Because Jesus did this, we have this joy set before us.

I agree with Chesterton, and would add:

Don't keep your joy a secret.

Don't keep the gospel in.

Make it your aim to remind others of this joy. Tell others of this joy.

Encourage. Share. Remind.

Wake up and speak up.

Soul: renew.

Spirit: sing.

for  j o y